Ahead of his upcoming visit to France, Pope Léon XIV urged on Thursday, September 24, 2026, for a shift in how the world addresses climate change. He called for moving "from emergency response to prevention," emphasizing that global warming is not only an environmental challenge but also a matter of social justice. Speaking during an audience with members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the pope highlighted that extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and natural disasters, are becoming more frequent and severe. These events, he warned, "primarily affect the poor, communities with the most limited resources to adapt, and those whose livelihoods directly depend on land, forests, and oceans." The pope stressed that the climate issue is fundamentally a question of justice, human dignity, and solidarity among peoples and generations. He has long urged governments to take bolder actions in the face of climate change, emphasizing that it is not enough to respond only after a disaster has occurred. Instead, he called for proactive measures, moving from vulnerability to preparedness and from short-term solutions to a long-term vision that ensures the well-being of future generations. In the same speech, Pope Léon XIV also addressed the environmental impact of artificial intelligence (AI), describing current AI systems as "very energy and water-intensive," which significantly influence carbon dioxide emissions. He called for a "responsible and lucid approach to science," warning against the risks that come with the development of AI and other technological tools. The pope noted that AI can be used for surveillance, manipulation, and discrimination, and he has previously called for "disarming" AI and regulating algorithms to prevent misuse. Léon XIV has consistently emphasized the need to protect nature and has continued the environmental legacy of his predecessor, Pope Francis, whose 2015 encyclical Laudato Si' called for urgent action against human-caused global warming. In November, the pope had already urged for "concrete actions" to address climate change, reinforcing his commitment to both environmental stewardship and social justice.